Huck's doctors encouraged him to take his medication, eat a proper diet and exercise. Despite changing doctors when he moved, Huck stuck to his healthy lifestyle.

Huck, 80, and his wife, Marian, have been married for 53 years. The couple moved to Sun City about six years ago. He retired after 30 years in the vending and food service industry with Canteen Corp.

During his 27 years of daily walking, Huck rotates his shoes and retires at least one pair a year. Whether it's walking the nature trail inside the community or finding new places to get his hour in, Huck is dedicated to his routine.

"Everyone knows me, maybe not by name, but definitely as the man who walks a lot and they always wave" Huck said. "It has just become my habit and I don't miss a day."

To support his walking efforts, Marian often walks with him once a week. She said her favorite place to walk is the Buckwalter Place Greenway Trail.

"It's his thing, but if he goes on nature trails, I usually join," said Marian, who spends most of her time playing tennis.

Marian met another resident who also has a daily walking habit through playing tennis. Michael Boggs walks about five miles a day, but he's set a goal to walk around the United States. He's already walked across the states, but now is focused on making the full loop around America.

Walking around America

Finishing a six-week trip in South Dakota, Boggs is more than halfway done with his trek around the country. The journey started when Boggs walked across the county where he lived in North Carolina.

"I was a high school librarian and I always walked the track after school, so I decided why not walk across the county, then that led to walking across the county I worked in, then across the state," Boggs said.

The journey started on Aug. 7, 1989 and 24 years later, he's nearly completed his walking adventure. His next trip will be finishing the coast of California and up through Oregon. The longest Boggs has ever walked was two days in a row, 26 miles each.

At 69 years old, Boggs said his pace has slowed down, but it won't stop him. He's committed to finishing.

"I used to average 15 miles a day, now it's about 11," Boggs said.

During his South Dakota trip he finished 372 miles and lacked only 64 miles before stepping foot in Montana. He doesn't do the trip alone though. His wife, Kathleen, drops off her husband exactly where he stopped walking the day before.

"We'll plan where and when she'll pick me up when I've finished that day's walk. She'll either go shopping or sight-seeing so it's a trip we both enjoy," Boggs said.

Boggs said he mostly plans the trips for the summer since the other seasons on the west coast are usually wet. But why does he walk? It's for the pure enjoyment of it.

"I like to see the countryside at a slower pace. It's different seeing landscape at three miles per hour than it is at 70," Boggs. "I enjoy meeting new people and seeing the wildlife at a slower pace rather than zooming past them."

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.